As a graduate student at Sciences Po in Paris about to enter my second year of tackling the task of “governing the large metropolis,” I tend to take a very governance-based, policy-minded outlook to my research, writing, and general observations regarding urban issues. Until this summer, the […]

I am sincerely grateful to have spent these past four months supporting the work at Smart Cities Advisors. Lenora introduced me to the space of social enterprise and impact investing – a movement aligning profit with purpose, and directing market mechanisms toward social impact. What I take […]

Greg Giornelli is President and COO of Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit organization located in Atlanta, GA that supports holistic community redevelopment focusing on mixed-income housing strategy, cradle-to-college education, and supportive services. Through their Purpose Built Communities Network, they provide guidance and technical assistance to foundations, community […]

In a recent BBC News special, economist Paul Mason took viewers on a tour of Estero de San Miguel, a slum located in Manila, Philippines. In a dark and overcrowded tunnel under a bridge, he saw the contradictions of life in slums on every corner: Business college graduates […]

In our last blog post on the quality of the supply of affordable housing in Latin America, we concluded that providing quality housing remains a complex challenge (Finding the balance between quantity and quality). Why is quality even important if the customer’s life will improve just by […]

Last week, Colombia joined other Latin American countries, including Chile and Mexico, in approving regulations for the construction of social and affordable housing. As part of its housing policy, the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development published the Guidelines for Technical Assistance for Affordable Housing. The […]